Colton Manor Read Online Free PDF Page B

but I need to get up early and get some painting done or I’ll never be finished in time for my exhibition. We should definitely go to bed together.” For a moment there was a stunned silence between them as Ursula struggled to come up with a way to extract her foot from her mouth. “I meant to say we should definitely go to bed now, to sleep, that is. Separately, not together. You know what I mean.”
    Damien just smiled at her clumsy attempt to recover, and Ursula suddenly became conscious of the fact that she was dressed only in a sheer nightgown. She’d been so spooked by the noise downstairs she hadn’t even thrown a dressing gown on, and Damien was wearing just a pair of boxers and a t-shirt. Sitting with him like this in the middle of the night was starting to feel very intimate.
                  “Yes, let’s go to bed. Separately that is,” he said with a grin as he got up and pushed his chair in. Her little Freudian slip had at least helped to take his mind off sleep walking. Ursula followed him out of the kitchen and to the stairs. They climbed the stairs side by side, their shoulders brushing together lightly, and it really did feel to Ursula as if they were if they were going to bed together. When they neared the landing they glanced at each other at the same time and then quickly looked away. This time the chill that ran down Ursula’s spine was much more pleasant. They paused awkwardly when they reached her bedroom door.
                  “Listen, thanks for being so understanding about my sleep-walking episode,” said Damien. “I doubt it will happen again, but just to be on the safe side maybe you should lock your door.”
                  “Oh don’t worry about it, it was just one of those things and I’m sure you’ll be fine. See you in the morning.” 
                  “Goodnight.”  They both lingered for a few seconds, and then he reached out as if to give her a friendly pat on the shoulder. To Ursula’s surprise he pulled her in close to him and his mouth found hers. Before she could decide if she was ready to take this step with him she was already returning the kiss. At first he was gentle but his kiss grew harder, more demanding, and his hand moved down to cup her breast. She felt her nipples grow firm under the insistent pressure of his hand, but when he started to pull her nightgown up she snapped back to her senses. This was moving way too fast for her.
                  “I think we’d better stop there,” she said, pushing him away. “This probably isn’t a great idea considering we just met today and we have to live together.” His other hand was wound through her hair but instead of releasing it, his grip tightened. She feared he wasn’t going to let her go, and for just a second she thought she saw the same look in his eye she’d seen in the cellar.
    A bolt of fear shot through her. Who was this man really? The truth was she’d let a complete stranger into her home and she had no idea if Bonnie had told her the truth about anything. She didn’t even know if Bonnie was who she claimed to be. She’d let her fear of ghosts overcome even basic common sense. She couldn’t believe she’d been so utterly stupid, but in the next second the expression was gone and his grasp relaxed, leaving Ursula to wonder if she’d just imagined it.
                  “God, I don’t know what’s wrong with me tonight. I’m usually not like this at all,” he said, looking genuinely embarrassed.
    “It must be this house causing us to behave in ways that are out of character. Maybe it’s the ghosts,” said Ursula, only half joking.
    Damien chose to ignore her comment. “You’re a very attractive girl, there’s no doubt about that, but you’re right, it’s a bad idea to get involved with a housemate, and you are much too young for me anyway. Please forgive me for overstepping the